Family Tensions and War Contine to Build in Bloodlines Book Two of Star Wars: Legacy of the Force

Bloodlines, the second novel in the Star Wars: Legacy of the Force nine-book series and written by Karen Traviss, picks up shortly after the events of Betrayal. The question of Corellian independence continues to escalate, as an act of terrorism causes the situation to slowly spiral out of control. Jacen struggles with his potential Sith destiny as he gains power within the Galactic Alliance government and alienates those around him. Han and Leia try to keep ahead of Thrackan Sal-Solo's bounty hunters and involve themselves in shady Corellian politics, while Boba Fett's life reaches a critical turning point.

Some fans have criticized the Correllian sub-plot as being too reminiscent of the Separatists storyline in the Prequel Trilogy. The key difference is how the storyline is being developed and its relevance to today's society. One only needs to look at the newspaper headlines to find parallels with the real world. This makes the storyline much more engrossing than the one in the Prequel Trilogy.

That's not to say the parallels with the Prequel Trilogy end there. Jacen Solo's journey to being the next Dark Lord of the Sith (with Lumiya's guidance) makes for fascinating reading. Throughout the course of the book, we see Jacen working out his reasons for taking up the Sith mantle, evening using his powerful Force abilities to gaze into the past and see where his grandfather could have gone wrong. Jacen's greatest asset- and his greatest failing- is his need to look at a problem from every angle.

He keeps challenging himself whether he is going down this path out of ego, or out of selfish love, or for power. It's also compelling because as a reader have seen Jacen born and raised in the novels. His character arc, from child to unsure teenager early on in New Jedi Order to his watershed moment in Traitor has been filled with clear changes in his character, far greater than any other character originating in Star Wars fiction. And it is the complex nature of his inner conflict, and the alarming decisions he is making (particularly at the end of Bloodlines), that help make the Legacy of the Force series riveting.

Bloodlines also brings fan-favorite bounty hunter Boba Fett into the storyline. Fett's story is almost a cliché in fiction: he discovers he has a limited amount of time left to live, and needs to find the only person who may have a way to save his life. However, he also has a few regrets to put to rest in his life, namely his estranged daughter. Fett's storyline winds up inevitably intertwining with Han and Leia's. What works is how the storyline unfolds in an unexpected manner.

Happy endings aren't the order the day, but instead he must settle for bittersweet understandings, which is more realistic. Fett's storyline looks to play out over a number of books (or perhaps the rest of the series). Though I was never a big Boba Fett fan, this novel helped me to gain an appreciation and insight into his mind and show how affected he was by his father's death (way back in Episode II, yet another link to the Prequel Trilogy).

Traviss' writes well. More impressive is the layout of the book and her attention to detail. Each chapter begins with a little blurb, taken from different "sources" and adds a different perspective to each chapter. Many are blurbs as if from a news feed. Others are snippets of conversation as if the reader is eavesdropping. There is even one from Cal Omas' memoirs (obviously written years after the events of Legacy of the Force), giving an interesting perspective on Jacen, and giving a glimpse of how he will be remembered. This is a style that is unique to the books, and made Bloodlines all the more enjoyable.

There are many other plot threads running through Bloodlines: Luke's growing doubt over his son Ben's apprenticeship with Jacen; Ben's first brush with killing in self-defense and the loss of innocence; the widening rift between Jacen and his family; and Jacen's growing political strength. To Traviss' credit, she is able to balance these threads and at the same time move things forward at a breakneck speed. Action and character development are expertly woven, so the novel never feels hollow.

In short, Bloodlines is another successful entry in the Legacy of the Force series, which makes it feel more tightly plotted than the New Jedi Order series. Having a fewer number of authors working in concert is working very well so far. Hopefully Tempest, written by fan-favorite author Troy Denning, will continue the pace. Bloodlines is a definite success.

Rating: A